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| Peppermint Scented DIY Soy Candle |
I love homemade gifts and I love candles so I thought that I would try to combine the two this year. As I started reading about how to make candles I realized it was a lot more in-depth and complicated then I thought it would be. Temperatures, frosting, bubbles....what? I knew that there had to be an easier way to create something beautiful, elegant and scent-worthy without the hassle of taking temperatures and watching for bubbles. And I found it!
First, you are going to need a few supplies. Amazon is a great resource, as is Hobby Lobby (Make sure you bring your 40% off coupon!)
I purchased a bag of Soy Flakes , some pretty jars, wicks and oils. I also bought a pack of color squares so I could play with different color combinations, but I didn't use them in this batch.
PREPARE your area before you begin. I lay paper down on the counter to catch drips (which will happen!) and also prepare my jars with the wicks. You can do this one of two ways. 1. Hot glue the metal tab in the center of the jar or 2. Place a dab of hot wax on the bottom of the metal tab and position it to the bottom of the jar, holding in place until the wax cools. I prefer option 2, but have done it both ways.
Step 1. Fill a bowl or pouring cup with about 2 cups of soy flakes. In this batch, I tried something different for my color and scent. I had one Spruce scented wax melt leftover and I added the whole square to my wax flakes. If you were adding a color square, you would add it now. If you were adding scent oil, do NOT add it yet.
Step 2. Place the bowl of flakes in the microwave. Microwave for 45 seconds on 50% power (<--- Very Important! Wax does have a flash point. Do not try to speed the melting process up by heating at 100% power) When the 45 seconds is up, take a wooden craft stick and stir. Repeat until the flakes have melted to a liquid (My bowl took about 2 and a half minutes)
Step 3. Using pot holders, remove your melted wax and stir until it is completely smooth. This will help cool the wax to pouring temperature. I stirred slowly for about 45 seconds. If you are using scented oils, this is when you would add 1 oz of the oil.
Step 4. Slowly and carefully pour the melted wax in to your jars. Keep an eye on your wick. If it shifts, you may need to guide it back to the center of the jar as your wax cools.
SAVINGS TIP: I hate waste and always seem to have just a little bit of wax leftover that won't fit in the jar. I save my tea light candles after they have been depleted, remove the metal tab and fill them with my leftover melted wax. When the wax has cooled and hardened, they pop right out for your own wax warmer cube (or circle)
Step 5. Wait. This is the hardest part! It could take up to 4 hours before your candle is hardened but ideally, you want to let it sit for up to 24 hours to completely cure.
These make great gifts for your family and friends or keep them for yourself and scent up your home!
Merry Christmas!
